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IFLY tips

BatoBus hop-on-hop-off boat (1½ hr – 1 day)

There are many cruises on the river Seine. Most of them are just sightseeing tours, but a nice one is a hop-on-hop-off boat called BatoBus. It's a riverboat service operating eight stops along the Seine, close to Paris' most visited attractions. So that means you have the advantage of making a river cruise and hop-off or hop-on at many nice places as well.The only disadvantage during high season is that you have to queue every time and at very popular stops you’ll have a chance of not being able to embark the boat as it is full, so you’ll have to wait for the next boat. There is a boat every 15-25 minutes at each wharf.There are stops at Champs-Elysées, Louvre, Hôtel De Ville, Jardin des Plantes, Notre Dame, St-Germain-des-Prés, Musée d’Orsay and Tour Eiffel. The boat drive between the stops is approximately five to fifteen minutes. If you just do the whole tour at once it will take you one hour and 40 minutes. A normal ticket costs €13,50 per person and you can use it for 1 day. During the year there are different operation hours. For an up-to-date schedule click here.

Sewer Tour (2 hrs)

Like to see Paris from a different angle? The Paris Sewer Museum is the most comprehensive sewer experience for tourists anywhere. Walking over channels of real French poop, the visitor is bombarded with detailed information about this 2000 km system while experiencing it firsthand.You can buy tickets at the Ticket kiosk at the south end of the Pont de l'Alma, opposite 93 Quai d' Orsay. You can go there by metro (Alma-Marceau station) or RER (Pont de l’Alma station). A ticket will cost you €3.50 (less for kids and old people). The opening hours are: Saturday to Wednesday from 11 am to 5 pm in summer, 4 pm in winter (closed for 3 weeks in January for annual sewer cleaning)

Tour Eiffel (½ day)

When visiting Paris you have to visit the icon of the city: La Tour Eiffel. But sometimes the queue can be very long. During high season the waiting time can be over two hours. You can shorten this time by purchasing a ticket online. This can be done here. Another way to shorten you waiting time needs a good condition. You can climb the Eiffel Tower by foot. The queue for the stairs normally has a waiting time of only 20 minutes. You have to climb 700 steps to the second floor. From there you can go to the top floor by elevator. It’s a bit of work, but the views are great.The Eiffel Tower is open every day from 9.30 am to 11 pm. The easiest to go there is by green metro line 6 to station Bir-Hakeim. You can also take line 9 or line 6 to Tracadéro. From there you will have a great view on the tower and have some picturesque moments. You can easily cross the bridge and walk to the Eiffel Tower.

Restaurants in Eiffel Tower (2 – 3 hrs)

The icon of Paris has some wonderful restaurants. At the first floor is the wonderful restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel. From this restaurant you’ll have a great view on Paris while enjoying a delicious traditional French lunch or dinner. Lunch is served from 11.30 am to 4 pm. For dinner you can go there between 6.30 and 11.30 pm.If you like to have a very special culinary experience at an altitude of 125 metres, you’ll have to go to restaurant ‘Le Jules Verne’ at the second floor. French top chef Alain Ducasse manages this restaurant. This chef operates a number of restaurants in the world and holds many Michelin stars. ‘Le Jules Verne’ has a private elevator, so you don’t need to queue up for a long time. A reservation can be made here.

Biking on a Velib (½ hr – 1 day)

A great way of transportation in Paris is by bicycle. You can rent a bicycle for a short period at many locations in the city. This system is called Vélib, which comes from Vélo Libre, which means free bicycle in French. The system is a bit complicated, but once you know how to use it, it is very easy. The bike system has about 20.000 bicycles and 1639 stations, roughly one station every 300 metres throughout the city centre, making Vélib’ the largest system of its kind in the world.Each Vélib’ service point/station is equipped with an automatic rental terminal and stands for dozens of bicycles. Maps showing the station locations are available at all kiosks. But sometimes the stations are a bit hard to find. A credit card or Maestro debit card with PIN is required to sign up for the programme and to rent the bikes. The credit/debit card will be charged €150 if a rented bike is not returned. And check the tires and brakes of the bike before taking it. A brochure about this service can be downloaded here.

Dining in Quartier Latin (2 hrs)

‘Le Quartier Latin’ or Latin Quarter is an area situated on the south bank of the river Seine, around the Sorbonne University. The Latin Quarter is home to a number of higher education establishments and is also known for its lively atmosphere and bistros, French Restaurants. There are many places in this neighbourhood where you can go for lunch or dinner. The small streets around Place St.Germain des Prés for example are full of great places to eat. They are open for lunch and also for dinner till late night. You will get real French food, great wines and a perfect service.

Buddha Bar (2½ hour)

Another ‘must go’ restaurant is Buddha Bar. This is a great restaurant famous worldwide for it’s wonderful Buddha Bar music albums.But besides the music the restaurant itself is great as well. The decoration of the place is stunning. Once entering the place you enter in a different world. The bar mezzanine, enlaced by 18th century style wrought-iron balustrades, looks out over the dining area where the gigantic Buddha – the bar’s namesake - sits serenely enthroned. In Buddha-Bar wonderland, your taste buds travel to distant lands and inventiveness nests in your plate. The chef creates an edible masterpiece that skilfully combines exotic delicacies with high-end cuisine.Buddha Bar is situated at 8/12, rue Boissy d’Anglas, just around the corner of Champs Elysées and Place de la Concorde. The nearest Metro station is Concorde. A reservation can be made by phone +33(0)15305 9000 or by e-mail.

Beaches in Paris

A beach is not the first thing you think of in Paris, but in summer there are some nice beaches to hang out at the banks of the river Seine. In a nutshell, Paris Plages is a Seine-side holiday, complete with sandy beaches, deckchairs, ubiquitous ice cream sellers, and concerts for French and foreign guests. All Paris Plages beaches are open non-stop from 8 am to midnight. More information about Paris Plages, the locations and activities can be found here.

La Défense (2 hrs)

If you have some spare time and like to see a different Paris, You should go to La Défense, a business district just outside Paris. It’s an absolute must for lovers of modern architecture. You will find beautiful buildings with La Grande Arche in its middle. From this new ‘Arc the Triomphe’ you can see how nice they integrated this new neighbourhood in the city. You will have a great view on the old Arc the Triomphe downtown. There are many shops, restaurants and bars in this area. It is a perfect spot to hang out a morning or an afternoon when the weather is nice.You can easily go to La Défense by RER line A, or the yellow metro line 1 to La Défense.

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Language of the world

Of course you like to speak a few words of the local language onboard the plane or at your destination. Here you find some simple basics of the main language spoken in Paris.